Goodnight Mr Vale
by GagaMidnight
Summary: AU - Dante is a detective. People come to him for help. He seems to be unstoppable and among the best but what happens when the one person who beats him is a Woman. Please give credit to JaneEyre0.
1. Part One

A/N - Before you begin to read you should know that credit for this story belongs to JaneEyre0. It was her idea. And she asked me to write it. Which has made me feel so honoured. It's an AU story where Dante is a detective ( a little like a kinder version of Sherlock Holmes) and Zhalia is sort of an Irene Adler figure. Please, go and read JaneEyre0's huntik stories. She's in my favourite authors list and she's absolutely brilliant!

* * *

Dante Vale was the best in his field. That field mostly was made up of detective work. People consulted him when they needed help. Not to mention he was well known. Journalists were always writing about his work, his cases, and just him in general.

He was handsome and naturally that - as well as skills - earned him a lot of popularity amongst young women and teenagers. One of these teenagers was Sophie Casterwill. Despite having a boyfriend she sort of couldn't help but worship him. But when a family heirloom of hers was stolen and another one became under threat, it wasn't his good looks that made her consult him. It was his skill.

She took her boyfriend with her to Dante's home. Dante Vale answered the door with a polite smile. "How can I help you two?" he asked.

Sophie composed herself and began to let her 'family honour' take over in her tone. "I am Sophie Casterwill and I've come to see seek your help. This is my friend Lok Lambart." she said, haughtily.

"Would you like to come inside?" Dante asked.

The two teenagers slowly made their way into the detective's house and into the living room. "Sit down kids." he said, kindly.

"You sure have a cool house, Mr Vale." Lok complimented him.

"Thank you." Dante replied before sitting across from the kids. "Now what seems to be the problem?"

Sophie cleared her throat before speaking. "As you probably know I am from a very honourable family. The Casterwills. Since I have been orphaned the family responsibilities are now my own. We have many heirlooms. Two in particular are very important. One of them was stolen and I am aware that several attempts have been made to steal the other one."

"Where were the jewels kept?" Dante asked Sophie.

"In my library." she replied. "I woke up in the night to find the ruby gone. I can't afford to lose the sapphire." she replied.

Lok rubbed her shoulder. "Don't worry, Sophie." he comforted her. "It'll be okay."

"What my father must have went through to get that sapphire brought Casterwill honour. Without it it's lost." Her features turned into something which expressed great sorrow. "And I want to have as much as I can that connects me with my parents and the rest of my family. Please help, Mr Vale. I will pay for your services."

"Why wasn't the sapphire taken with the ruby?" asked Dante.

Sophie let out a depressed sigh. "I don't know, Mr Vale. All I know is that I am having to carry it with me all the time and I just don't feel safe. I was hoping you could help protect it until we find out who has stolen the ruby."

Dante frowned his eyebrows in thought. "Were the jewels under any form of security when they were taken?"

"Yes, a very highly pass-worded safe. You need six different numbers to get into it."

"I see." nodded Dante. "Well I'd be more than happy to help you Miss Casterwill."

"Thank you, Mr Vale. I'll never forget this." Sophie replied, a smile appearing on both her and Lok's face.

Lok watched the detective as he set up laser sensors around the safe that went off in all angles. "It would take someone with skills beyond a miracle to get through these without setting the alarm off." Dante explained to Lok.

"Why are we using that safe, and not an electronic one?" Lok asked, pointing to the safe. The whole idea of the gadgets involved in protecting the jewels were exciting.

"Because it's obvious that the electronic one was hacked, and most likely with special technology. With this one you've got to work out the puzzle. Ancient Chinese. I highly doubt that anyone will be able to get in to it. That's even if they get passed all the sensors."

"That's cool!" Lok, replied. Dante smiled. He turned the lights off. All that lit the place was the laser sensors. "

"Wow!" Lok, uttered. "I'm going to run and tell and tell Sophie."

Lok ran downstairs, ready to find his girlfriend while Dante shook his head with a smile. The boy was so full of energy.

As Lok went looking for Sophie, he slipped and fell on the floor; knocking in to a table. A vase fell of and shattered. Sophie was really going to be mad at him.

"Lok, that was a rare…" began Sophie appearing from a room with her hands on her hips.

"You okay?" Dante's voice asked. Sophie looked to see a concerned detective.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Mr Vale."

"Lok's problem is that he never looks where he is going." Sophie scolded.

"I think a bit of that vase has cut your head." Dante, noticed as he pointed to a cut on Lok's head.

"Oh for goodness sake, Lok. You are going to end up killing yourself one day. I'll get Leblanche." Leblanche was Sophie's butler. She wasn't too cheery with him either.

Lok just laughed, nervously. "I'm sorry, Sophie."

"It doesn't matter. I can easily replace the vase." she sighed, frustrated.

Dante began making his way upstairs, to check on the safe. Although he wasn't too worried. The laser traps would surely do their job. When he got back to the safe room however, that thought fled from his mind to be replaced by disbelief.

He noticed the jewel at first, as it rested in someone's left hand. Both the left and right hand was on the ground, helping with the gymnastics that jewel thief needed to get passed one of the lasers, which so happened to be the last. With ease she flipped herself in a precise manner over the red line made by the laser. Even the way her black hair in its pony tail behaved towards the lights was precise as it missed the laser by an inch. It was deliberate.

Dante stared on, unable to comprehend what was happening. "Who are you?" he finally managed to utter. The thief turned around and he saw a woman's eyes gaze at him. They were a beautiful shade of brown.

She smiled and walked backwards to the window. "Goodnight Mr Vale." she uttered before skilfully leaving the window, with a back flip.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**


	2. Part Two

Dante stood for a moment in a quiet bewilderment at what had just happened sunk in. What had just happened was that someone had managed to be extremely flexible enough to get through the deliberately and well placed laser traps that Dante had set up so carefully to deter any criminal from getting to the safe. On top of that, that same person had gotten to the safe and had cracked an ancient Chinese puzzle to open said safe – something Dante thought impossible. Not only was Dante blaming himself for what had just happened, and not only was he feeling extremely guilty for how devastated Sophie Casterwill was going to be; the detective was actually very much impressed with the woman who had stolen the sapphire. He was always one to give credit where it was most certainly due.

He carefully walked over to the open window but there was no sign of the mystery woman, whatsoever. The question that was playing over and over again in his mind was who was she?

* * *

Sophie Casterwill was holding back tears. . "Lok…It's gone!" she complained, with a deeply depressed look on her face. If Lok had any sense he would probably wonder if Sophie would feel half as depressed if anything sad ever happened to him. "I've lost it. What are we going to do?"

"I am very sorry, Miss Casterwill…" Dante began, apologetically. He genuinely felt sorry for her. He himself had lost his parents.

"That sapphire was a prized possession of the Casterwill collection." Sophie said, with a sad tone in her voice but it was not completely masking her over adoration for her family name. Dante felt guilty yet again.

"I assure you that I'll get that sapphire returned to you." Dante replied, sincerely and he meant it. He would do everything in his power to do so.

"It's no use!" Sophie snapped bitterly before standing up and walking over to one of the windows.

"I'll find it. I promise." Dante assured her again.

She turned around and looked at him with her tear filled eyes. "I sure hope so, Mr Vale."

* * *

The stolen Casterwill sapphire was placed carefully in a safe and locked with a three digit passcode. The woman who had stolen the precious Casterwill jewel removed her mobile and dialled a specific number. "Tell him, I have what he's looking for." she said to the person on the other end. Her voice was filled with a business tone.

When she ended the call she let out a very deep and aggravated sigh. She hated stealing. But it was better than being hurt or even possibly murdered. Someone was blackmailing her. Her life was on the line.

When she walked past the mirror she looked at her flection and saw just how tired she looked. She suddenly also became very aware of the fact that she felt extremely guilty as well. She admired Dante Vale very much; she had always followed his work; and despite feeling somewhat pleased for getting the better of him, she didn't feel pleased about committing a crime against his work. She sighed again at that thought. She'd been doing an awful lot of sighing lately. She just wanted to be free. The next day would bring another meeting with who had blackmailed her in to stealing the sapphire. Hopefully they would leave her alone now. But no; of course not and she knew it. She was worried. She climbed up her staircase and opened the door to her bedroom, where she got changed in to her pyjamas and then lay down only to toss and turn. Hopefully the meeting would not go too badly. All she could do was hope.

* * *

When morning came she had gotten very little sleep from worrying. With her tired eyes she looked at the safe; of which only she knew the code and its meaning. All of a sudden heard footsteps and she walked in to the hallway. "Zhalia." greeted her blackmailer. She could see three people outside "How good to see you again."

"Klaus." Zhalia uttered disdainfully.

"Where is the sapphire?" Klaus asked, with an eerie cheerfulness to his voice.

"It's in my safe." Zhalia replied, blandly. Klaus looked at her, his eyes cold.

"Then why are we standing around here, Zhalia?" he asked in reply.

She began making her way to her safe. "You know rumour has it that Dante Vale had been hired to protect the sapphire."

"Yes, he was." Zhalia replied, her voice breaking a little. She stared at the safe, and swallowed. "Does it matter? Why are you bringing it up?!" Her voice raised just a little.

"If he doesn't stop prying…he might end up dead."

Zhalia swallowed again.

"Why?!" she asked, again her voice raised.

Klaus looked at her in surprise as three of his men walked in to her living room. Zhalia Moon knew not to ask questions. It did not benefit her to ask questions and here was she was asking "why?". That grabbed his curiosity.

"Is that any of your business?" he asked, coldly.

"I don't see the point of killing him if you're good at staying off the radar." Zhalia replied, folding her arms.

"Oh do you not? Who are you to question my methods? Just open the safe!" he replied, menacingly.

"Let me think what the password was." Zhalia replied, before staring at the lock screen and the locked message. I AM LOCKED.

"No I don't remember." Zhalia replied.

"You wouldn't be trying to protect Dante Vale would you?" Klaus asked. "Oh goodness; you are."

"What makes you think that?" she replied.

* * *

Dante spent most of the day looking around some contacts, to see any of them had seen a woman fitting Zhalia's description but no one had seen anyone of her description. So he went back to his house to find that the door was opened and not locked. He was a hundred percent certain that he had locked it on his way out of the door that morning. He stepped inside and looked around. It didn't look as if anything had been stolen.

His eyes spotted a couple of droplets of blood on the floor. He blinked and then frowned in thought before quietly and carefully making his way in to his living room. On the sofa, lay Zhalia. He looked on in shock. She was sleeping and by the looks of things she had used his first aid kit to take care of a wound on her shoulder.

She woke up suddenly and sat up right. "It's only you." she sighed, relieved.

"Why have you come here?"

"I was wondering if I could use your services."


	3. Part Three

a/n A big apology to you all. I know I neglected this for quite a while. I got stuck with writing out the chapter. I kept on deleting it and re doing it and getting myself worked up. Then I'm getting test after test and stuff. Then I get ideas for other stories. I do apologise. I hope it's not too much of a dissapointment but if it is let me know and I'll sort it. Thanks everybody for all your support with this. A big thanks to the wonderful JaneEyre0 who is absoutley brilliant as a writer and as friend. Please go and look at her stories because she's far better than me! :) Happy New Year to you all! I know that's a bit late in saying.

* * *

Dante handed Zhalia a cup of tea. She took it with a wry smile before beginning to sip the hot substance. It made her feel a little better, and a little safer. Something about the atmosphere in Dante's home made her feel at ease, although no matter how much she tried to hide it there still a little feeling of anxiety after all she had missed near death at her home. It would be enough to send anyone in to anxiety

Dante watched her questioningly as he sat down. He noticed that she was looking a little over thoughtful. She had needed the first aid kit for a reason. She'd obviously been hurt. Then she had come to him. He hadn't gotten any more answers out of her. He usually always had answers. He was a pro detective. The only thing he could tell was the she was very very beautiful. He'd at first thought he'd imagined it when he'd first saw her but now she was sitting in his living room, on his sofa, drinking tea out of one of his cups. She had a face that a man might die for, in his opinion. Her eyes were a very attractive. Hazel. Yet he couldn't help but notice a hint of sadness within them. Zhalia finally snapped out of her pensive phase and looked around until her eyes met Dante's. She felt tightness in her chest as she looked at him and she looked away.

Dante saw she was nervous and a little shaken up. Watching her the way he did now made him think that there was more to her than just a thief. If she was the same thief who had stolen from the Casterwill girl before then she would have at least had some sign of being a little more richer but she didn't. She did have signs of just coming from something very dangerous. She had been hurt and there was a hint of anxiety.

Zhalia could see he was watching her carefully from the corner of her eye. She could see his amber eyes quietly search for answers to questions he was asking himself in his mind. Zhalia sighed and put down her cup. "You have questions. Why don't you ask me and I'll answer them. It'll save you the trouble of asking yourself." she finally spoke. Dante took a minute to recover from the shock of her speaking.

"What's your name?" he asked quietly. Zhalia tilted her head to the side, curiously. He was a detective looking for answers and the first thing he asked her was what her name was. That surprised her. People in general rarely asked for her name. Perhaps it was because she'd grown accustom to shutting herself out.

Zhalia opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the will to let words flow properly and eventually she said very quietly. "Zhalia Moon."

He could see how taken aback she was by that question he'd asked. She was shocked, even. By the way she struggled to answer the question confidently there was a hint of there being isolation in her life.

Zhalia looked up to meet his eyes once again. He paused for a moment as he stared at her. "You live alone?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You don't normally spend time in the company of other's unless you have to." he stated. Zhalia nodded.

"You normally get yourself injured."

Zhalia nodded again and picked her cup up again. He blinked. They were simple replies. There was no questions like "how did you know that?" or "what makes you thinking that?" but just simple answers.

"You're not asking me why I'm making those statements?"

"You wouldn't be living up to your glowing reputation as a pro if you didn't." she replied. "Besides when are we getting to the part when you ask me why I stole the Casterwill ruby and the Casterwill sapphire?"

He froze for a moment before sighing. "Definitely not a fan of people's company. You can't even handle small talk." he joked with a smile.

Zhalia smiled wryly. "Maybe people just aren't a fan of my company."

"Well depends whether or not they have diamond earrings or gold watches. "

Zhalia snickered and then sat her cup back down. "I have come here because I need help. I can help you recover the sapphire at least but I have a problem." She looked at the window for a moment then sighed. It was beginning to rain.

"Why did you steal the sapphire?" Dante asked. "I know it's not money. Maybe the challenge but I think if you wanted a challenge you would try something much more difficult."

"I was threatened by a man named Klaus." she replied. "From what I've gathered he pretty much wants you dead." Dante blinked. She was to the point. "Pretty much wants me dead too."

"He wanted the sapphire didn't he and he asked you to get it." Dante commented.

Zhalia nodded. "Yes. I thought that if I stole the ruby he'd leave me alone but he wanted the sapphire and I got him it. I locked it in my safe."

"Electronic? They are easy to get in to." Dante replied.

"Not if you can make a code no one can guess." Zhalia replied.

"You think that you've made a code no one can guess."

"I know I've made a code no one can guess." she replied, quietly. "Besides Klaus from what I've gathered has always had it in for you. But when he found out you were after the sapphire he thought it would bring attention to him and he wanted you dead. When I asked him why that was when things got rough." she replied. "I didn't open the safe for him and it's absolutely impossible to break open. So the sapphire's there and as long as it's still there then Klaus will be there."

"So this Klaus wants me dead?" Dante asked.

"Yes." Zhalia replied.

Dante took it in for a moment. "So you've come to me for help?" he asked.

"I thought you were a pro." she remarked. Dante raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I'll give the sapphire back."

"Why my help?" Dante asked.

"Because I trust you more than the police."

Dante smiled. "OK then. I'll help you Miss Moon."


	4. Part Four

Zhalia sat on the sofa as she thought about how Klaus would react to not being able to get the safe open, and that was when a sudden thought occurred to her. She stood up and turned to look at Dante who was staring out of the window.

"Mr Vale." she spoke.

"Please. There is no need to be so formal." Dante replied before turning around to face her. He saw a look of concern on her face and frowned. "What's wrong?" He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

She sighed. "If Klaus can't get in to the safe. He's going to need me isn't he? He'll manage to find me back here."

Dante sighed. He hadn't thought about that. "Most likely. I'll call up my friend in the police. Perhaps he'll be able to help us out with that."

Zhalia nodded and turned away but he pulled her head gently around so she was facing him again. She looked up in to his amber eyes and swallowed. "I promise that you won't get hurt." he told her, seeing the concern in her facial expression.

"It was not me that I was worrying about, Mr Vale." she replied, with a sigh.

* * *

Klaus stood staring at the safe with anger. He clenched both his fists. "Find her and bring her here! Now!" he said, as calmly as he could.

"Sir that's impossible." one of his people spoke. "You see…she was arrested by police this morning in connection with stealing the ruby and the sapphire. When Date Vale went to retrieve the diamond, she committed suicide."

Klaus turned to the safe and sighed. "She always was unstable." he commented, dryly. He turned to his man again. "Get me Dante Vale. If anyone can open the safe it's him."

* * *

A large group of Klaus' men broke in to Dante's house, armed with guns. Only when the lights in the house were turned on, police stood with their own guns and one of them spoke up. "I'm Detective Guggenheim. I believe you're breaking and entering gentlemen. Not to mention, armed."

* * *

Zhalia dialled Dante's phone number. "That's his mercs being taken away now." she told Dante. Dante smiled on the other end. "I'm on my way now."

"I'll hold him off as long as I can."

"He'll still have a couple of mercenaries but if I know him, he'll want you to get the safe open." Zhalia replied as she began to make her way to her house, where Klaus was and where Dante was already outside, and getting ready to approach.

"That'll buy me some time. Be careful though, his men will probably shoot you on sight."

Zhalia chuckled. "Even if they did, it's not as if anyone will miss me." She ended the call before Dante could find something to say. He put his phone in the pocket of his trench coat and began making his way up to Zhalia's house slowly.

Eventually two guns pressed themselves against his back and he turned his around to see two mercenaries. "Why, if it isn't Dante Vale? What on earth has brought you here?"

"Well I'm a detective. I'm investigating the death of Miss Zhalia Moon." he replied.

* * *

Klaus turned to look at Dante Vale. "One of my people, Miss Moon, decided to leave me in a rather horrible predicament and I would very much kindly appreciate your help in getting out of it, or rather getting in to the predicament which is a lock safe."

Dante shrugged. "I don't see why you can't break in to it yourselves. I'm sure you could find equipment…" began Dante.

Klaus gritted his teeth. "It's reinforced." he told Dante, bitterly.

"Well that's unfortunate." Dante replied, with a smile. "I don't know how I can help, then."

"Find out the code." Klaus replied, impatiently.

"You see I can't do that because it's probably a very well thought up code. Whoever got it reinforced must have been confident that someone would have to break in the brutal way." Dante walked over and looked at the screen. 'I AM LOCKED' appeared in writing, and three boxes to input numbers in to." He turned around and smiled. "Only one attempt remaining. Dear me. You've been trying.

"Can you help, Mr Vale?" Klaus asked, him sternly.

"You see Miss Moon told me something very interesting about you. She said you wanted me dead." Dante told him. "Is that true?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh for goodness sake, Mr Vale. Stop the games and hurry up. Or else I'll send the men that I sent to your house to kill Miss Casterwill and her pathetic excuse for a boyfriend!"

Dante looked at Klaus, with a hint of disgust in his eyes. "All that effort to kill two teenagers, just for a sapphire in a locked safe. What kind of a man would do that?"

"You are always such the hero. Now at least start trying or I'll send the word!"

Dante turned to the safe again. "Usually the heaviest oil deposit is always on the first key. However, Miss Moon most likely changed the password before she left."

"She's a slippery woman."

"I think cunning and intelligent with a lot of skills, is a much more accurate description."

Dante turned around. "I'm not sure that I can work out this password. Perhaps you should have gotten someone who you could pay with money to have gotten the sapphire rather than threatening someone. The fact you had to threaten her however shows you really needed her. Shows she was the best person for the job."

"I needed her to get to you."

"Very evident. Sent someone who could outsmart me. Very clever, but not clever enough. You had to go and try and kill her anyway and by then there is no point in her remaining loyal to you. You shouldn't quickly jump in to your plans. You should think them through. And a quick word of advice. Never ever believe what you are told."

"What…" began Klaus.

"Always double check." Dante continued, interrupting.

"What's that supposed to me?" Klaus growled bitterly, before one of his men fell to the ground with a thud, and lay unconscious.

"It means…" began Zhalia as she kicked the other one, and threw him in to the wall. He slid down the ground and blacked out. "That I'm not really dead."

"My other men will be back, Zhalia. Don't think you can get the better of me."

"Well it'll be very hard because all of them have been taken in to police custody, by a rather resourceful detective friend of Dante Vale. I see you've already met the man you're trying to kill."

She looked at him and folded her arms. "How long do you think they'll keep quiet about you? You paid them to kill, and guard you but not to keep their mouths shut. They'll do anything to get out of prison."

"Perhaps you should have picked someone else after all. I've discovered that Miss Moon makes a wonderful planning partner when it comes to having men like you arrested." Dante said with a smile.

They heard the front door burst down and the police call out. Dante nodded to Zhalia and she mouthed three numbers to him. 3.2.6.

Dante typed it in and the safe opened, to reveal the sapphire. "Thank you Miss Moon. I'll make sure Miss Casterwill gets it back." he told her.

Zhalia bowed her head as Klaus was arrested.

* * *

"I want this woman arrested!" Sophie said haughtily, when Dante brought her the sapphire back.

"I am afraid you are mistaken Miss Casterwill." Dante spoke up as he tried to explain.

"I assure, you that I'm not mistaken whatsoever! That woman stole a precious Casterwill jewel!"

"She stole it because I asked her too. You see I had to stop a dangerous criminal and it was the only way. Miss Moon was my partner in it all. She helped me. The police are aware that you've been extremely helpful Miss Casterwill and I'm sure that the papers will be informed too."

"Well…of course." Sophie stuttered.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. For now I must be going."

* * *

Zhalia stood and looked at the empty safe before letting out a sigh. "Miss Moon." she heard Dante's voice speak. "You're still here, I see."

Zhalia turned around. "I take it Miss Casterwill wants to press charges." she replied.

"Not at all." Dante replied.

Zhalia nodded. "Well I thank you for your help." She began to walk out.

"The numbers you gave me to the safe were really corresponding to letters. " She stopped and turned around. "3.2. And 1. They spell out DAN. Put that in with the lock screen that spells out I AM DAN LOCKED."

Zhalia looked at the ground, embarrassed. He tilted her head up. "If I ever believe in using electronic safes, I'd use the numbers 942." he told her.

She looked at him in shock. "You have a face that a man might die for." he said, quietly.

A tear slid down her cheek. She wasn't used to anyone being so kind to her. He wiped the tear away before placing a kiss on her cheek. "I hope you stick around, Zhalia."

* * *

One Year Later

Zhalia swallowed as she backed into a fence, while staring at the man pointing a gun at her. "I'd drop your weapon if I were you. Police!"

The gun was dropped and Guggenheim stepped up to handcuff Zhalia's attacker. "Thank you." Zhalia spoke.

She began to walk away, when someone grabbed her hand. She looked up to the amber eyes of Dante Vale. "You should be careful. You're a married woman and your husband would be devastated if something bad happened to you."

"You shouldn't have married me then." she replied before pressing her lips against his.

**THE END**

* * *

A/N BIG THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR READING THIS, and REVIEWING. Special Thanks to JaneEyre0 who has been so brilliant in giving me the idea to write, and for bearing with me and for just being a loyal friend. This is dedicated to her. So thanks, my friend!


End file.
